The present invention is directed to a process for producing hydrocarbons from carbon monoxide, in particular, to a process for producing synthetic crude petroleum from carbon monoxide by catalytic hydrogenation.
Converting carbon monoxide into synthetic petroleum by catalytic hydrogenation is a process invented by M. Fischer and. M. Tropsch during the twenties and thirties. As M. Bergius at the same time, they used an iron catalyst to produce hydrocarbons. In 1925, Fischer-Tropsch produced a real industrial synthesis of hydrocarbons and oils under normal pressure with a cobalt catalyst and thorine. These processes were improved in 1930 and during world war 2 using nickel and nickel-cobalt catalysts. The Fischer-Tropsch process was also applied in England by the Synthetic Oil Cy Ltd using cobalt and thorium catalysts. Other companies Improved the Fischer-Tropsch process using costly alloy catalysts without succeeding to eliminate problems of instability due to the presence of oxygen, humidity or water vapor in the reactor. See canadian patents no. 360,194, no. 411,979, no. 556,715 and no 559,476.
There are many processes converting carbon monoxide into liquid synthetic petroleum. Everybody knows that catalytic hydrogenation is feasible but its efficiency is problematic mostly because of the instability due to the unavoidable presence of oxygen and water vapor in the reactor. We also know that catalysts act as accelerators or as decelerators in chemical reactions without being part of the finished products. In converting carbon monoxide into liquid synthetic petroleum by catalytic hydrogenation, the use of an iron catalyst or other similar catalysts necessitates many manipulations which may affect expected output. COpetrolisation brings in a second catalyst, salt, which retains humidity. Furthermore, chlorine opens chemical chains and sodium prevents crystals of oxygen from covering the iron catalyst. Doing so, the salt catalyst improves the action of the iron catalyst. Catalytic hydrogenation of carbon monoxide becomes more regular and easier to standardize. COpetrolisation of carbon monoxide regularly produces 55% water and 45% heptane.